Monday, July 02, 2007

One thing I've learned in life is that ---- truth is seldom in the middle.

There is a lazy approach to finding the truth becoming more prevalent today. Perhaps, it is growing more popular because we have given up using our souls, minds, intuition -- in finding the truth. Maybe it is due to a relativism endemic in our time. Or, in the mistaken belief that consensus leads infallibly to truth.

An example: One group of people believe in a single payer, universal health insurance scheme.Another major group believes in private corporations and market forces as best in providing the best insurance. Two somewhat "extreme" positions. (Extreme in the dictionary sense of "furthest from the center or a given point,"--- not in the sense of "severe or drastic measures or immoderate")

So, let's pretend that we could put these two primary approaches on a chart with the former at "0" (for no particular reason) and the latter approach at "100". Using the lazy, mindless truth finding technique----we would simply say the truth or the best system is around "50".

Or, let's say we have two positions: reality is only material vs. reality is only spiritual. Then the simplistic search for truth would once again try to find that "halfway" point, betweem these two opinions and declare that the truth.

This finding truth in the mid-spot forgoes the use of judgment, and thought in general. It is mechanistic. And, how does one determine the two extreme positions? And what difference does it make what the extremes are --- if they can be determined?

It's all very silly.

As for me --- I think the truth is seldom in the middle --- so each search requires effort and contemplation. And, naturally, once the truth is determined (for a day or two) it is only the truth through my (your) eyes. However, this is all that's required of us. What else could there be. Just a sincere effort.

IMO: Virtus in medio stat. (Virtue is usually in the middle.) Save that for another blog.